Russia Deeply Regrets West’s Approval Of Punitive Operation In Southeast Ukraine, Says Peskov
Moscow has called “cynicism” the position taken by Washington and a number of European capitals over the bloodshed in Odessa, Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said. He also said that the Kiev’s authorities are responsible for the deaths of people in Odessa.
“The justification of the punitive operation by those who only a few months ago would not let the legitimate president, Viktor Yanukovych, restore order using legal means, are the highest manifestation of cynicism,” Peskov told reporters on Saturday.
The Kremlin has callled ‘ludicrous’ the possibility of holding a presidential election in Ukraine amid growing violence, Dmitry Peskov said.
“After what happened in Odessa, against the background of the unwinding spiral of confrontation in the country’s southeast, we do not understand what elections Kiev, European capitals and Washington are talking about,” Peskov told reporters on Saturday.
The Kremlin has laid direct responsibility for the Odessa tragedy with the authorities in Kiev.
“The authorities in Kiev are not only directly responsible, they are direct accomplices in these criminal actions. Their hands are full of blood,” Russian President’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Moscow is so far unclear how Russia would act amid growing confrontation in Ukraine. “I cannot answer this question, this element is absolutely new to us,” Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
Moscow receives thousands of calls from southeast Ukraine, he said.
“People are calling in despair, asking for help, the overwhelming majority demand Russian help,” he said. “All these calls are reported to Vladimir Putin,” Peskov said.
Russia and its President Vladimir Putin will continue the policy aimed at de-escalation of the situation in Ukraine, Dmitry Peskov said.
“President Putin, Russia will continue the policy aimed at de-escalation. We shall do whatever is possible and wherever it is possible so as to follow the de-escalation path step by step,” Peskov told reporters on Saturday.
Moscow has acknowledged finding no common ground with Western countries over Ukraine. “To our great regret, we acknowledge the diametrically opposed points of view on what is happening, full lack of understanding of the processes that are occurring there (in Ukraine),” Russian President’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “This is either due to the impossibility to obtain credible information or the reluctance to accept it,” he said.
“Such a radical change of position within just a few months is seen by us only as cynicism,” he reiterated. Such an attitude is “being bred by involvement and responsibility in what is happening,” the president’s spokesman said.
When asked by reporters which Western official said about the monopoly to use violence, Peskov recalled that this is what the head of the EU diplomacy, Catherine Ashton, said a day earlier. “Against the backdrop of the punitive operation, this statement is monstrous in itself: armed forces in the center of Europe shooting civilians, while Brussels claims about the government’s monopoly to use violence,” he said.
Putin expresses condolences to Odessa victims, none to authorities
Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended his deep condolences and sympathy for those killed and injured as a result of a bloody tragedy in Odessa, his Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
“Regrettably, we cannot express condolences to the official Kyiv as there is no official Kyiv as such,” Peskov told reporters on Saturday. “(Putin) feels extremely concerned by how the situation is evolving and being interpreted in several countries of the global community,” the spokesman said.
“Putin feels deepest indignation at the actions of the Kyiv authorities, which can be interpreted as a crime,” his spokesman said.
Russia, other countries unable to influence southeastern Ukrainians amid direct threats to their lives – Kremlin
Neither Russia, nor any other country, can any longer influence citizens of Ukraine’s southeast who feel their lives are in danger, the Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Saturday.
“From now on Russia or any other country, has lost their ability to influence these people, because it will now be impossible to talk them into laying down their weapons amid direct threats to their lives, threats coming from radicals, nationalists and armed forces that obey criminal orders and murder their own people,” Peskov told journalists, RIA reports.
OSCE observers released in Ukraine’s Slavyansk – people’s mayor
On the other development, The people’s mayor of Slavyansk Vyacheslav Ponomaryov has told Interfax about the release of the OSCE representatives. “We have released them. We transferred them to one of the checkpoints on the opposite side,” he told Interfax by phone on Saturday.
On the way to the checkpoint the OSCE specialists were escorted by armed militiamen, he said. “We did everything in our power to ensure their safety,” Ponomaryov said.
OSCE observers detained in Slavyansk released – Russian official
Foreign military observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have been released in the Ukrainian city of Slaviansk, Russian human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin said.
OSCE military inspectors to be freed – Slavyansk people’s mayor
The people’s mayor of Slavyansk Vyacheslav Ponomaryov is going to release the OSCE representatives who have been captured by militiamen.
“They are sitting in my office, I am talking to them and going to release them,” Ponomaryov said. This is not to do with the unsafe situation in the town, he said.
“They are my guests, I do not want them to be hurt,” he said.
On April 25 Slavyansk self-defense forces stopped a bus carrying a group of inspectors working in Ukraine under the OSCE resolution in accordance with the Vienna Document 2011 on confidence- and security-building measures, and escorted it to the town.
There were eight members in the group: four German officers, one Swede, one Pole, one Dane and one Czech.
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